(February 19, 2015 at 9:30 pm)goodwithoutgod Wrote: In the first century of the common era, there appeared at the eastern and of the Mediterranean a remarkable religious leader who taught the worship of one true God and declared that religion meant not the sacrifice of beasts but the practice of charity and piety and the shunning of hatred and enmity. He was said to have worked miracles of goodness, casting out demons, healing the sick, raising the dead. His exemplary life led some of his followers to claim he was a son of God, though he called himself the son of a man. Accused of sedition against Rome, he was arrested. After his death, his disciples claimed he had risen from the dead, appeared to them alive, and then ascended to heaven. Who was this teacher and wonderworker? His name was Appollonius of Tyana; he died about 98 CE, and his story may be read in Flavius Philostratus’s Life of Appolonius. Comparative mythology scholar Joseph campbell wrote in his book “the hero with 1000 faces”, both Apollonius and Jesus are examples of individuals who shared similar hero stories, along with Krishna, Buddha and Romulus. The followers of Apollonius believed he was the true son of God, and that Jesus was a fraud.
Hi goodwithoutgod
Here is my symbolic interpretation of Jesus and the Bible that works even if the whole thing is borrowed or made up. This is an unconditional as I could get it:
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To explain the story of humanity summarized in the Bible, it helps to distinguish the difference between the Old and New Testaments, which determines if the rest will make sense at all, or even needs to be read. Some people, after getting what Jesus means to them, do not need to use the Bible but may apply this to whatever is their path and life, and some remain nontheist in their approach. But they no longer REJECT Jesus and Christianity once they understand this is something good that helps people.
In short, the Old Testament records the tragic history of living by the "letter of the law" and retributive justice, causing death and genocidal destruction by greed, while the New Testament paints a positive future for humanity, with renewed love of life and relationships by restorative justice, living by the "spirit of the law" for lasting peace.
The key difference between these paths is divine forgiveness, which breaks the cycle of retribution inherited from previous generations. Without forgiveness, suffering repeats, projected forward. However, by receiving forgiveness and correction, where Jesus represents the spiritual process of embracing equal justice, humanity finds liberation from past strife by establishing universal truth, justice, and peace on earth. Thus, human nature is destined to reach maturity in mind, body, and spirit, collectively symbolized by the Holy Trinity.
Salvation in Jesus represents restorative justice with mercy, bringing healing grace to end conflicts. Reconciling local laws among individuals with universal laws on a global scale fulfills both in perfect harmony or marriage between people, as the bride or church, united with the authority of law or state.
The story of sacrifice and redemption represents the spiritual process each individual experiences to grow in life -- through trials, failures, and recovery -- which drives humanity to reach spiritual understanding, wholeness, and peace.
Every person goes through this spiritual process toward maturity and peace in life. And collectively, all humanity goes through it which is what the Bible represents using symbols and terms as taught in Christianity.
The common key is FORGIVENESS. And what Christ Jesus represents uniquely and universally is connection by Conscience
where ALL things are forgiven. So this is where people turn when we cannot forgive on our own. And in cases of satanic or demonic influences, the prayers in Christ Jesus are the ONLY thing that works. So this is why so much emphasis is on Jesus and Christianity as the central authority through which all humanity connects to bring lasting justice and peace.
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Ironically after I posted this on "that other" atheistforums site, I got haranged by an alpha atheist demanding that I cite the Bible to prove "I really know what it says and am not a nutjob."
So I tried to show I did, by summarizing "all the laws" as the Two Great Commandments plus the New Commandment, to explain the Trinity, but that wasn't good enough for THIS atheist. He wanted a literal literal summary of the Bible, when my whole point was to focus on the SPIRIT of the message which is universal and NOT depend on the literal scripture as a religious condition.
So that is where I was when I got banned -- trying to meet this atheist's need for a literal Bible, when my figurative description that works for Christians wasn't good enough for him. I finally find something that Christians will accept as consistent with Christianity, and then this guy, an atheist, demands that it isn't literal enough to the Bible!
WT? If there is a God designing this drama, this has to be a joke.
Either that, or the world is coming to an end, when Christians are liberal enough to include atheists, but the atheists insist on sticking to the Bible. What?
I am still reeling in shock. And think I was set up for that one!
